


First Tears

by Sophisticated_Dude



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Arisato Minako Is Named Aria Here Because Reasons, F/F, Renamed! Protagonist, There's Probably Going to be Drinking, They're All Adults In This AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 07:21:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7425397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophisticated_Dude/pseuds/Sophisticated_Dude
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aria was their leader, and made a sacrifice that impacted Aigis enough before Aigis awoke to her human mind, but now in her human body she weeps, but before the night's over, she's surprised by a certain patient is visiting her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Tears

Another stressful day of fighting Shadows. Junpei was knocked out, Akihiko had _been_ knocked out, having attempted to take down a powerful Shadow solo, while Shinji, Ken, and Koromaru had the sense to get out when they got weak. Fuuka remained in the base, as per usual, and Mitsuru, Yukari, and Aigis stayed back with their brunette leader.

"Succubus!" Aria yelled, pulling the trigger of her Evoker as she summoned her Persona to attack the horde of Shadows that amassed in the hallway. Aria easily took out the horde by having them turn on each other, and let Mitsuru take out the off guard Shadows.

"Great job!" Aria shouted, turning to find a Shadow behind the, "Aigis, Orgia Mode!"

"Affirmative, Aria!" Aigis replied, unleashing a devastating Orgia augmented attack, obliterating it in minutes.

"Let's get out of here!" Aria waved at the girls behind her and ran towards Aigis, "Keep the fore clear, give me a fifteen second head's up when you're about to burn out!"

"Will do, Aria!" Aigis obediently called back.

 

Aigis took out the enemies ahead with just her gun, while the spirits of her comrades had run out, and their health was at low levels, "Aria, I'm..." Aigis began stumbling across the wall, "Fuuka where are enemies?"

"There's three, they look strong, but slow!" Fuuka called out, "They're near the stairs!"

Aigis ran down the hall. Aria yelled for her to wait, but Aigis yelled back, "The teleporter is on the floor below and chance of slipping by is low, I can still take them on!"

"You three should hurry...I sense the Reaper!"

"Damn, that one...come on!" Aria cried, waving the others over.

They found Aigis standing still, the claws of Shadows slashing at her armor, knocking her around the room.

"Dammit!" Aria yelled, pointing the Evoker at her head, "Orpheus!"

"Takeba, extract Aigis!" Mitsuru yelled, lifting her leader and running to where Aigis stood. Orpheus was taking damage, which would only hurt Aria, "With all due respect, you have to stop, Takeba and I have more than enough energy left for this!"

"I'm healing us!" Yukari yelled, shooting herself with the Evoker, the last of her energy healing the injuries that only Shadows could inflict.

"Excellent work, Takeba!" Mitsuru laid Aria down and unleashed a flurry of attacks on the tower shadow and the Maya, knocking them down.

"Great job, Mitsuru!" Yukari called out, readying her bow for an All-Out Attack.

 

"Mitsuru-san and Yukari-san are so powerful." Aigis mused, turning to Aria, "They're very efficient as a team, by themselves, they...'click'."

"I agree, but I don't think they can win before the Reaper gets us!" Aria stood up and turned to Aigis, "Are you good for another Orgia Mode?"

"Understood! I hope we 'click' even by ourselves, too."

"Now, you don't understand...help them, I'll occupy him!"

"Aria-san, you'll get hurt! As leader, you _have_ to live!"

"I am going to return, I intend to, but I'm going to distract him, your orders are to guide those two to the stairs, and offer cover fire on my retreat!"

"This is a trick." Aigis sighed, holding Aria's hand, "Your readings indicate you're lying to me, as well as no use of the contraction when you say 'I am', and so I say...nope."

"Nope?"

"You're running with me, together we will cover fire, hurry, while the Reaper is far away and the Shadows are distracted!"

"Aigis, that's just two of three Shadows...please, Aigis, trust me," Aria rested a hand on Aigis' cheek and directed her gaze to her own soft red-brown eyes, "Ai-chan, I would never do anything to hurt you, do you believe me?"

"I... wish to...always be given the truth from you...and that you won't lie to me...and I believe you will grant my wish."

"Aigis, thank you. I'll focus on dodging, I've even got my best Persona for dodging ready, so trust me!"

"I...I will!"

"Good, now go support them!" Aria turned to the Reaper and exhaled, "Time to die, freakziod!"

Aigis turned to Aria and smiled. She always said that and made the fight seem easier. That word made Aigis' system not heat up so much, and that, in turn, allowed for quicker maneuvers, Aigis wanted to know how that would translate to humans...maybe it helped with Aigis' 'stress' or calmed her down.

They ran on to the next Shadow and tore it to shreds in an instant, then Aigis activated Orgia Mode and turned her sights on the Reaper.

 

_The crumpled figure was Aria, she fell, Aigis went in and swooped her up, and ran with her, back to the teleporter, staring at Aria as she collapsed to her knees. She stared at Aria, not analyzing data, but something else. Her Palladion Heart felt strange, it was like...it had been torn out. Everyone was quiet. She looked up for answers, but only pained looks were on their faces._

_"She...can be repaired." her vocal systems must have been stressed from some internal friction...the tightening in her throat? But she still spoke with the same absolution when she told Aria she'd been lying. She looked up and the team avoided her from time to time, flickering towards her and away again, "She can be repaired! We must hurry, we can't function if we don't bring her back online!"_

_She looked up hopefully, wanting them to agree, but there was silence. She knew humans didn't work like that. Aigis stared at Yukari, then Mitsuru, her facial structure melting in places again and again, until the two came over to her. Yukari pulled Aigis into her arms, while Mitsuru laid Aria down and took a deep breath. Aigis knew Mitsuru was going to hurt her, she didn't know how she knew, but she did._

_"Aigis...Aria...Aria, she...damn." Aigis tightened the pitch of her vocal synthesizers and let out a single note at the ceiling. She wished she could have went off line or exploded or something, something that would make that...all-consuming void go away, "Aigis..." Mitsuru hugged her too, but Aigis couldn't get the way she said her name out of her head. Mitsuru was upset, too, but she was human, the basic emotional functions were understandable, but Aigis was falling apart._

 

Aigis woke up to someone knocking on the door, which was opened. Two knocks and light footsteps. Her face, she found, was completely wet. She realized it was a dream, but kept crying. It must have been Yukari, because bright red hair belonged to whoever was in the doorway, which could only be Mitsuru. Yukari pulled her into her arms and made shushing sounds that somehow made Aigis feel...reinforced? Maybe stabilized. Whatever it was, she wanted to hold onto it.

"Ai-chan." was the whisper, and it made Aigis mumbled as she considered the audio input. She looked up to Mitsuru again and found brown eyes and pale hands on Mitsuru's midriff. Yukari's hands, Yukari's eyes. She must have been exhausted, from the way her eyes wouldn't stay open. But if that was them there, then who was over here, with her? That whispered word and tone reminded her of the one she lost in her dreams. Aigis realized this coat she cried on belonged to the waitress who taught her so much about the different musics out there. The woman who did let's plays in her free time, and played Innocent Sin Online on her channel, and let Aigis sit in the same room with her, even invited her onscreen. It was the person that she prioritized for her existence and social experience, "It was a nightmare, Aigis."

Aigis whined and looked up at the face above her. She only saw cheek and chin of her, but her hand on the warm skin guided the features of Aria Akane into view, "Double A?" Aigis pouted. Aria smiled, nodded at her, "Because...without you...my functions aren't very good."

"Aigis...um, while you were out of it...after that battle...the team found me, I was in a coma for a while, so I wasn't able to check up on you...but you've changed."

"N-not bad, I hope! I can change back!"

"No, I mean...you're a...woman now."

"Huh? A human woman?"

"Yes...or at least, judging by your tears...that warm smell."

"Smell?" Aigis echoed quietly.

"It's very nice, it's sweet, I wouldn't say you smell like a bakery...but as close as you can get without turning into bread."

"Maybe...it's because I'm a toaster?" Aigis remarked.

"Huh?"

"Um...toaster...the jokes..."

"Oh, right, sorry, my mind's not all there right now, it's all the meds, I swear. Hey, why don't we get together and grab some beers or something when I get off the pain killers?"

"But, you don't need pain medication, correct?" Aigis inquired.

Aria slowed the gentle rocking motions she'd been making and sighed, "Apparently the doctors didn't think so, and had me hooked on pain killers...but now I'm _hooked_ on pain killers, it'll take a while until they break me from it, until then it'll be fruit juice and carbonated water for moi."

"Oh...what about me?" Aigis wondered.

"You're good, you were in the lab and the team just brought me into your room, but the hospital folks have my patient number, and if I'm not back in another hour, they'll send a search party after me!" Aria sounded cheery, and it made Aigis cuddle into her shoulder, "So, whatcha been dreaming about?"

"U-um...just..." Aigis struggled with her thoughts and looked up at the pair in the doorway, "Can we please be alone?"

Mitsuru nodded and pulled the door shut. Aria squeezed Aigis gently and sighed, "If you'd rather not think about it, I understand."

"It's not about recent days...I suppose when my memories were being transferred, because now I'm human and have a different data storage method, I must have caught glimpses of some data being transferred and...remembered once when you stalled a Reaper...in the scenario I saw...Aria...you...you..." Aigis let her breath out of her mouth and took a deep breath, "Do you remember? You told me to tell you when Orgia Mode was about to end and my cool down mode would begin, and I told you not to go, but...I trusted you..."

"And you talked about how Yukari and Mitsuru clicked?"

"Yes, that day!"

"I think about that, too, sometimes...but it's always when I found you after you ran ahead."

"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that...if we faced the Shadows as a team...or if I had engaged after you were closer, then we could have escaped better...I brought these...nightmares...on myself."

"Your heart was in the right place, though, Aigis."

"My heart was..." Aigis cut herself off and shuddered, "Aria, I hear about people called freaks of nature and such, typically in the context of relationships comprised of individuals of the same gender."

"Oh, don't pay that crowd any attention, it's better to love than hate, probably lot better for the body, too, stress isn't usually healthy."

"That...is a relief...because, Aria...I'm in love with you...while I was dormant, all the things I saw, I felt with emotions, and it hurt...I think...I think this is love, it hurts, but I want to hold it, for the times it won't hurt."

"Ah, Ai-chan, that's so sweet, and if you're wrong about this feeling, then so am I, but...we can't both be wrong about this, right?"

"You love me, too?"

"I love you, Aigis, so much." Aigis smiled and gazed up at Aria. She felt a strong urge to press her lips into Aria's and the redhead seemed curious about what Aigis was hesitating about (obviously hesitating) but the door opening caught their attention.

"Be ready to leave in five, Aria," Yukari advised, "we have to get you back in twenty minutes, but we have a ten minute drive, and I don't want to be late."

Aigis looked up at Aria again and sighed, "But I never want to let you go."

"I'll be back tomorrow."

 

Yukari called to let Aigis know Aria wasn't allowed out today, and Aigis sighed and thanked her for letting her go. Not ten minutes later, Mitsuru walked into her room with a bag in her grasp, losing her phone after staring at the screen for a while.

"Aigis." Mitsuru's voice jolted her from her silent thoughts, and she gave Mitsuru her full attention, "Can you get dressed right now?"

"Uh-I...sure." Aigis stood up and Mitsuru walked out of the room after pointing to some clothes on a table.

 

Mitsuru kept Aigis occupied by discussing the plot of a book Aigis wasn't sure she was interested in, but had asked about anyways out of boredom. She seemed very enthused, though.

"I understand." Mitsuru sighed, pulling out her phone and pressing a lot of buttons, "This book could be about anything, you just need a way to fill the time, right? Here, this is a game app store, buy whatever you like."

Aigis accepted the phone and stared at it.

"It's a touch screen, though you could press these buttons here, they'll change which game is highlighted, highlighted is for games you can buy, click them, read the description, if you like it, it's yours."

"Thank you." Aigis said, looking up from the screen to find Mitsuru smiling at her.

"Your welcome."

Aigis decided on a low priced game about blocks, she had heard of it before, but never played it. It looked fun, despite Junpei's insistence that it was boring as all get out, and she tested that theory, proved it again and again for thirty lines of blocks disintegrating when Mitsuru patted her out of her trance.

"We're here now." Mitsuru pointed and Aigis noticed a large building with a helicopter on it, and large vehicles that she matched with the description of what she'd heard of ambulances which meant they were at a hospital. For some reason she was nervous, and felt like her stomach would twist itself into knots.

"U-um...Aria-chan is here?" Aigis breathed.

"Yes, on the third floor." Mitsuru furrowed her eyebrows at Aigis, "I'm not planning on sending you in alone, I'll be there the whole time, though we only have an hour until I have to get back to the office, but Yukari can drive you back tonight when her shift is done, if you don't mind staying for a while."

"N-not at all...Mitsuru...I'm scared."

"Hm...how come?" Mitsuru frowned and patted her hand, "Aigis?"

"Um...I just...feel...I've hardly been in public because...well, I am--was--a robot, and I...I'm particularly afraid...of this hospital...it just...scares me."

"Is that because that's where severely injured people go?"

"N-no...I don't know why, I don't know!" Aigis cried.

"Aigis...you're probably very nervous because...of everything you associate with a hospital, the nervousness is completely normal."

"M-memento...mori." Aigis whispered. She swallowed hard and coughed.

"It's okay to be scared-"

"I remember those words...every night, but they always remind me of what I have to lose..."

"They don't know about this...it's something Yukari and I discussed, but she won't be expecting you, so Aria shouldn't either, we can go back...I honestly should have thought better than this, I'm used to the hospital, you aren't, not anymore...I guess I'm not used to you having fear or discomfort."

"No...I want to go, please..." Aigis swallowed again, and set a trembling hand on the handle of the door. She was used to the world, but not interfacing with it like a human, with this level of understanding. She was scared of this world, now, in ways she hadn't imagined, because they hadn't existed, because _she_ didn't technically exist, not in the way she was used to. Now she couldn't see how things used to be for her, but she remembered how everything was, in words, at least, but not how he felt about anything.

"Your fists are clenched." Mitsuru pointed out.

"Please..." Aigis closed her eyes as she turned to Mitsuru. She backed away as an unannounced red fabric closed in on her face, but she let Mitsuru press it to her face, lowering her face before Mitsuru could ask after her.

"Aigis...take this handkerchief," Mitsuru set a bottle she suddenly held in a cup-holder and took out another handkerchief, which she moistened, "once you're feeling better you can wash up, but remember something."

"Hmm?" Aigis rubbed the bridge of her nose. It was stuffy and uncomfortable.

"Remember life...remember we won, it was a hard won victory..." Mitsuru sighed as she remembered how easily this chaos began, how many lives it ruined, "it's a time to remember Shinjiro-san and enjoy the lives we safeguarded for ourselves and humanity."

"Uh-huh."

"Aigis, your nose is stuffy, isn't it? You can blow your nose, just step on that lever by the door and drop it in the dispenser."

Aigis did as Mitsuru instructed, and cleaned her face with the handkerchief, then began to do the same with this cloth as she did with the last, looking to Mitsuru for approval before she did so, then Mitsuru gave her the bottle of water.

 

Aigis followed Mitsuru closely, a grim expression etched into her face as she took in injured people, in wheelchairs, watching her. She didn't feel right about drinking her water right now, or staring at them, or looking away, so she nervously turned to the woman Mitsuru was talking to, trying to wait for a respectful amount of time before taking another sip of water.

Mitsuru was nodding as the woman behind the desk discussed something about "condition", but she didn't know if there had been the word critical or stable, but she imagined the former, possibly from all those times they went into Tartarus. Funny, that was the high school Ken was going to, where they had all probably been before.

"Mitsuru?" Aigis looked up at the scarlet haired woman who glanced down and smiled.

"Everything's fine, why don't you take a seat?" Mitsuru nodded at where the chairs were and Aigis hesitated. Her mouth opened to protest, but Mitsuru's calm gaze reminded her that Mitsuru brought her here, and she would probably delay visiting her crush if she argued. As she walked away the receptionist asked, "Is she yours?" and Mitsuru took a moment before saying that they weren't mother and daughter. Aigis sighed to herself and realized part of her wished Mitsuru was her mother, but part of her wondered why Mitsuru didn't say if they were friends or colleagues. That may have been superfluous, or maybe Mitsuru wanted to add, "But I do feel like that, sometimes."

Yes, maybe that was it, Mitsuru felt like she was Aigis' mother, but she probably just thought of herself as a baby sitter for Aigis.

"Aigis," Mitsuru sat down before speaking. Aigis brought her head up and registered that fact. Mitsuru had been sitting for a few heartbeats now (Aigis found she wasn't very good at reckoning time, which was very inconvenient for her), before finally speaking, as though collecting words. Aigis felt a tear suddenly grow as she frowned, begging the red eyes in front of her to not say something that'd make her sad, "Aria didn't get much sleep last night, and needed to take some sleep medicine, she'd been waking up from nightmares, and her motions in her sleep unplugged her from the medication she was on several times, but sleep meds have her knocked out for a while, the dose lasts for eight hours, and it was three in the morning when she took them, it's only nine in the morning."

"Um, that's okay, I just got really worried." Aigis turned away and Mitsuru patted her shoulder.

"Then you don't mind having to sit there alone for two hours?"

"Not at all!" Aigis shouted, jumping out of her seat. She felt a cold chill on the back of her neck and turned to the other people in the room. They were watching her curiously and made her feel extraordinarily stupid,  "I-I'm sorry...sorry."

"Come on." Mitsuru led her away to an elevator, but she paused, as though reconsidering, "The sensation might be very different from what you're used to, but it's similar to a train, except you go up, and not forward."

Aigis nodded and they stepped into the elevator. Mitsuru held the door open for a set of twins and a man followed by two kids. Aigis couldn't help but wonder why they were all here, though the twins were probably there for a family member, while the small family was there to visit their mother and third child. She focused on that, rather than the lurch of her stomach as the elevator shot up through the hospital, landing them on the third floor. Aigis waited until they were in the hall, and stood against a wall to empty the bottle, when Mitsuru hand her another bottle, and a bag of money, "The restroom is there, remember where these vending machines are. I won't be able to lend you my phone again, but I promise to get you another one for future visits...I wish I could stay longer, but I should go as soon as Yukari comes in."

"Okay...Yukari's Aria's nurse?"

"Not exactly, Nurse Edogawa brings in lunch and meds, Yukari is allowed to visit but not interfere with treatment."

"O-oh." Aigis decided she was just used to her friends being closely associated all the time, but she still couldn't help thinking Yukari would be better for watching her friend than Edogawa.

 

Mitsuru opened the door for Aigis, and gestured for her to go inside.

For a brief moment, Aigis and Aria were all that Aigis registered. She pulled the chair behind her closer, and instantly became fixated on Aria. She seemed so relaxed and at ease, everything seemed fine, except she wouldn't shake off the sleep med for two hours.

Then Mitsuru reminded her that she was also in the room, and Aigis' tunnel vision fell apart. She noticed the strange hospital smell and glaring sunlight on the window when Mitsuru asked if she was alright.

"Uh-huh, she's only going to be out for two hours."

"Ha, ha, unless she decides to sleep in a while longer." Mitsuru remarked.

"I wish I could...I'm so happy, right now...I want to...hug someone." Aigis uncovered her feelings to herself as she spoke, though the outcome was unexpected.

"Emotions do demand outlets at times." Mitsuru informed, now standing next to her.

Aigis smiled and held onto Mitsuru laughing quietly before she backed up and turned to Aria, "I was so scared..."

"That's understandable." Mitsuru walked backed to her chair in front of the door and sat down. Aigis sat down too, and clasped her hands, fidgeting as she stared at Aria, her heart pounding so hard in her chest, as though it could be free to fly if it just pounded a little harder. Presently, the door opened, and Yukari's gasp of surprise caught her attention, "Surprise, Yukari." Mitsuru chuckled, holding out the paper sack from before.

"Ah, lunch, your my hero, Mitsuru." Yukari leaned down pressed her lips to Mitsuru's, then leaned up and kissed Mitsuru's forehead.

"These past few meetings have been very hectic, so I apologize for leaving you with cafeteria food for all this time."

"You know what they say, time away makes the heart fonder and all--Aigis is here?" Yukari did a double take and Aigis waved, looking away again as soon as she could, Mitsuru and Yukari's kiss sent her deep into thought. She sighed and opened the can of water with a crack, and drank for a few moments as Mitsuru and Yukari resumed their conversation.

"I brought her here, as we previously discussed, so you can drive her home." Mitsuru explained.

"Yeah, but I didn't expect her so soon!" Yukari switched which hand she held the bag with and laughed, "But that means you'll have to stop by the store tonight on your way from work, is that alright?"

"Yes, we've already sorted that out before, and I'm content with the arrangements." Mitsuru stood up and rested her fingertips on Yukari's cheeks before giving her lover one last, longing kiss, "Again, I apologize lunch has been nonexistent these days."

"I...it's alright." Yukari looked like she wanted to touch her lips, as though there was something on them that Mitsuru left behind. Aigis turned away and reprimanded herself for staring. She hadn't expected that, but that was what she wanted to do to Aria...when she woke up, of course, which meant that Yukari and Mitsuru were together. She realized there must have been a reason Mitsuru was just now calling her by her given name, "Eh, I think we're embarrassing Aigis, Mitsuru."

"A-ah, apologies, usually we meet outside the hospital cafeteria, so we generally don't have to worry about kissing at an inappropriate moment." Mitsuru explained.

"So, what about Aigis' lunch?" Yukari inquired.

"Ah, there's double portions in that sack, but they're those soups you have to microwave....sorry."

"It's alright...jeez, you looked so bummed, Mitsuru, it's fine!" Yukari chuckled and kissed Mitsuru's cheek, then set the bag in the chair next to Aigis, "We're going to have lunch together, so I'll leave this with you until then."

 Aigis nodded and watched Yukari walk back over to Mitsuru and offer to walk her back to the elevator. Aigis turned back to Aria rested the back of her hand against Aria's cheek. Aria made a sound that startled Aigis, but she was just mumbling. An uncertain arm rested on Aria's forehead and Aigis wished she knew what a fever felt like. What if Aria was burning up, and delirious? But then, "burning up" implied the forehead should be very warm, but how warm was too warm? She felt her own forehead and clenched her teeth. She stood up and turned to face the door, intent on finding whoever was supposed to be checking up on her.

When she was halfway to the door, a lanky, dark haired man pushed open the door and raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

"I am Aigis-" she stopped herself from routine introductions and turned to Aria, "I'm a friend of hers."

"Aigis, Aigis...right, Aria said something about you," he held out his hand and she extended hers, "Nurse Edogawa."

"Ah, Edogawa-san, Aria-chan's nurse."

"Yep, and don't worry about formal stuff, I don't."

She smiled and then pointed back at Aria, "Does she have a fever?"

Edogawa furrowed his brows and darted up alongside Aria's cot, and felt her forehead, "Nope. Feel my forehead, hers, yours, it's probably all the same, here's a trick-" he extracted a device from his pocket and gingerly turned Aria's head to the side, and pointed the device at Aria's ear, "it's fine, she's average, but good job being aware of the most fundamental aspects of taking care of someone."

"Thank you, Edogawa-sa--ahem."

"You're welcome, but it's more positive reinforcement than a compliment, I suppose either one would merit a small measure of gratitude." he seemed disinterested, and went about consulting his clipboard, then pointed at the soups behind Aigis, "Your lunch and not hers, right?"

"No, it's not for Aria."

"Good, I hate when I go to the trouble of calculating my patient's weight, height, age, and gender to find the optimal caloric and nutritional intake for every individual, only to find they ate lunch a friend brought in, after I meticulously measured every bit of food from the cafeteria just for them...yes, I realize that's insane, but I was mostly exaggerating, but I am meticulous! And picky...and jealous, which is why I asked to let Yukari take over completely or butt out unless she was present as a friend."

"I'm...certain Aria is in good hands, at least."

"So...I'm only mildly curious, so shrug it off if you want, but where were you when she was in a coma?"

"Oh, uh...I was unavailable...it was circumstances out of my hand, though I wish I had been there."

"You should have, she could hear everything, you know...not like she'd remember it, but somewhere in her brain, she was analyzing sounds, and even responded accordingly when that idiot in a blue hat and bad...what is that, a goatee? When _that_ guy told a dirty joke...just to see if she'd react...apparently it was a routine."

"O-oh...she...could comprehend...even while offline...?" Aigis instantly realized the last word she used and winced.

"Yep, even offline....I like how you liken her to a robot, very apt and retro...as for that joker, I don't like him, but there's no accounting for tastes, and it was funny...the stupid kind of funny--the best kind. But then, that's a matter of tastes as well."

"Junpei-san has a goatee now?" Aigis closed her eyes and wondered if anyone else changed much...she wanted to know more, specifically, about Aria.

"That's right, Nurse Yukari called him Stupei...even though she said they aren't relatives, they seem like siblings."

"U-um...did my name come up when they spoke?"

"No...but it's kinda pointless to talk about people who aren't present, don't ya think?"

"I...guess it'd be hard to start a conversation about them."

"Exactly. If you couldn't be helpless, you have no reason to feel guilty...and if it makes you feel better, Aria did talk about you, and how her friends talked to her about you, and you were in bad shape...so what exactly happened to you?"

"Coma."

"You, too?"

"Yes...it was strange...like I was dreaming."

"Hm, that is strange, two comas, two friends. Anyways, my work here is done, now I need to find a way to kill some minutes...I guess I go stand in the hall like a dork for five or ten minutes until my next scheduled visit."

"Okay..." Aigis watched the strange doctor walk away and settled her gaze onto Aria's face again. She reached her hand out and gently brushed her thumb along Aria's cheek. Aria's skin felt smooth and soft; though, now that Aigis thought about it, that did seem a little weird, touching Aria's face when she was knocked out. As she pulled her hand back limp fingers found her skin, weakly brushing the back of her hand, "Sorry...I shouldn't have touched your face?"

"It's fine...what time is it?" Aigis just realized she never logged how precious the soft chestnut eyes were to her, but the thoughts and strange feelings were distracted by Aria's question.

"Nine." Aigis answered.

"So...I should be out until nine, ten, eleven...maybe even noon if my body's especially tired."

"You can focus now? You seem tired, I'm amazed that you're able to perform mathematics, especially with how you just woke up."

"I guess I really wanted to see you."

"That excuse isn't feasible." Aigis chided, smiling warmly at Aria as she gently squeezed her hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a thing I did, should be a couple more chapters or more, first of a few Persona fics by me.


End file.
